When I grow up I want to be like Alice.
What? You don’t know her? I’m happy to make the introduction.
You may not know Alice Walton, but you may have heard of her father Sam Walton who founded the American behemoth Walmart.
But that’s not why I want to emulate Alice. Nor is it because she is the third richest woman on the planet, with a nice round US$56.7 billion to her name.
No, I want to be like Alice because she is a woman with extraordinary vision with the clout (and the money) to tackle one of the world’s biggest challenges we face today; our collapsing sick-care system.
If I were a few decades younger, I’d be signing up to go to the Alice Walton Medical School when it opens in a year or two’s time.
Why? Because her focus is on enhancing a whole-human approach to health that includes the arts and nature.
She’s a woman after my own heart.
Lifestyle medicine practitioners recognise that better health and well-being can only come through behaviour change, and you are probably aware of just how hard that can be.
Like when you want to lose weight.
Is this a recognisable scenario for you?
The scales are sharing the worsening news.
Despite adhering to your latest diet and feeling super hungry, the scales are going up, not down.
It’s disheartening and enough to drive you to the nearest cold cabinet in the supermarket, where you can drown your sorrows in Belgian chocolate or Cookies and Cream ice cream.
You know dieting is a bore and a chore. So why do it if it only makes you miserable and you regain the weight quicker than it takes to lose it in the first place?
The world is currently placing its faith in the new wonder drug Ozempic, even in the face of fake look-alikes. Do we really want to follow the Pied Piper and take a drug for the rest of our life, to stay thin, as well as put up with all the side effects?
No thanks.
A whole-person approach looks at every facet of your life.
Where you live, what type of work you do, what you currently eat and enjoy eating, your health, sleep patterns, relationships, stress levels and how much physical activity you do each day.
Yes, the full picture because your weight, blood pressure and lipid profile are only a minor part of who you are.
So, let’s get back to what we really want.
Better health?
Greater happiness?
Sometimes, the biggest gains are made by making the smallest changes, like swapping a soda for a glass of water, getting off the couch to walk around the block after dinner, or choosing to go to bed at the same time more regularly.
Lifestyle practitioners are here to help like a lighthouse, guiding you and keeping you safe as you navigate your journey towards better health, well-being and happiness.
So, who’s with me?
Let’s get with Alice to create more preventative health and create a happier, healthier world.
With grateful thanks to Ariana Huffington whose latest newsletter inspired this post.
